Research Methods Articles & Videos

  • Synthetic Users vs. Human Respondents: Same Conclusion, Less Variation

    Data from AI-generated respondents pointed to the same conclusion as a survey of 604 humans but contained far fewer distinct answers.

  • UX Maps: Glossary

    Use this glossary to quickly clarify key terms and concepts related to UX maps.

  • Context Libraries: How AI Power Users Manage Context Engineering

    Claude power users rarely edit their context files and often can’t find them. Your AI agent is only as powerful as its context library.

  • Why Your Research Findings Aren’t Landing

    Great research means nothing if the story doesn’t land. Learn how to structure a research readout that moves stakeholders to action, not just acknowledgment.

  • Democratizing User Research

    A clear guide to UX research democratization—definition, misconceptions, benefits, research ops, templates, training, tech, and AI best practices for scaling quality insights.

  • AI Can't Replace Real Research in Empathy Mapping

    AI can help you organize research you’ve already collected, but it can’t create research evidence about the specific, messy experience of real users.

  • User Panels: Maintenance and Governance

    A guide to sustaining user panels: governance, monitoring, maintenance, and evolution. Keep your recruitment panel organized, engaged, and reliable.

  • Dogfooding vs. QA vs. User Research

    Dogfooding, or using your own products internally, helps catch bugs, but it can't replace user research: your team knows too much to represent real users.

  • How to Decide When an AI Tool Is Worth Keeping

    Pressure to adopt AI isn't evidence that a tool helps. The PROVE framework tests one tool against one task and produces a provisional decision you can defend.

  • 3 Steps to Scope Your Broad Research Study

    Proper scoping is tied to timelines, research efficiency and the usefulness of your outputs. Learn how to scope your studies for optimal impact.

  • Kick the Bots Out of Your Survey Data

    Learn to spot and filter out survey bots’ responses before analysis so fake data doesn’t distort your findings.

  • Incentive Structures for Diary Studies

    A mindful incentive structure can keep diary study participants engaged and responding, without overloading you with low-quality responses.

  • Convenience Sampling: Avoid Bias When Recruiting Study Participants

    The participants you recruit for your study matter. Convenience sampling is fast and common in UX research. Learn how to do it effectively and avoid bias in your studies.

  • Selection Criteria: How to Pick Your Participants

    Rigorous selection criteria protect study validity. Learn how to define inclusion, exclusion, and diversity criteria to avoid costly misrecruits.

  • Why User Panels Fail

    User panels can deteriorate in predictable ways, introducing bias and reducing their effectiveness for ongoing research.

  • The Methodological Problems Hiding in Your Research Tools

    The methodological blind spots in UX research tools have always been a problem. Now that AI is planning and analyzing research, it's gotten worse.

  • Visualize Raw Data to Make Better Decisions

    Looking at and visualizing your raw, primary data is not a waste of time, quite the contrary. In fact, it can be the highest value action and the biggest return on investment that you can do.

  • Statistical Significance Isn’t the Same as Practical Significance

    Statistical significance helps establish whether a result is reliable, while practical significance helps determine whether it is worth acting on.

  • Post-Task vs. Post-Test Questionnaires in Quantitative Usability Testing

    Learn when and why to use post-task and post-test questionnaires in quantitative usability testing – and how combining both can help you pinpoint issues and improve UX.

  • Stop Misrecruits: Add Foils to Your Screener

    When creating screener surveys, use fake answer options – called foils – to spot misrecruits before they join your study. Learn how to craft foils that protect your data and catch cheaters early.